Potential hazards for Scissor Lifts

Scissor Lifts can be a serious hazard when are not maintained properly In 2004, a scissor lift being operated on a new concrete floor of a tilt-up building under construction fell over without warning when the operator lowered the lift slightly to clear a steel joist and proceeded to drive backwards. The scissor lift hit an adjacent steel column on its way down, with enough force to bend the guardrails on the platform. The worker managed to jump out of the lift before it hit the ground, and suffered only minor injuries. The scissor lift was a Marklift J25 EP unit with a capacity of 800 pounds and a maximum extension of 25 feet. It fell over because the left front steering arm, to which the left front wheel was mounted, had separated from the scissor lift chassis. The steering arm and steering-arm spindle are welded together, forming a complete unit. The steering-arm spindle had broken into two pieces, and the steering arm and wheel had fallen away from the chassis. As a result of the sudden loss of support at one corner of the chassis, the scissor lift toppled over.